I have just finished reading this book. It is the autobiography of Dr. Jacob Gartenhaus. I very much enjoyed the book and thank Pastor Gary Ledford for giving me my copy of the book!
I love the way the book explains how an orthodox Jew came to know Jesus Christ as His Lord and Messiah. I love reading how after many years of training as a Jewish Rabbi in the home of a Rabbi he was able to see that Jesus was and is the Messiah.
The first part of the book was by far the most inspiring and interesting to me. It tells the story of his life in the old country and how God the Holy Spirit works in his life to cause him to recognize his need of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The book takes a very simple truth and drives it home page after page. It is that your current direction will determine your destination.
We look for solutions to problems that we brought on ourselves. It is not that we are not intelligent but there is a huge disconnect. We don’t realize that our direction is determining our destination.
The first step in choosing the right path is not a problem of information but one of submission.
We need to acknowledge God in all of our ways and decisions.
Our emotions confuse us and cause us to make poor decisions that put us on the path or in the direction that will cause us great trouble. All of life is filled with decision making situations that occur in emotionally charged environments.
The book is filled with simple wisdom that we have overlooked. As Andy says there is really nothing new here but we need to understand and apply what we know. We heard our parents say it and we know it to be true. It is your direction more than it is what you are doing.
I suggest that young people read the book to learn and apply the principle of the path. Many people that come to me for counseling could apply this principle. If you are on the road doing that where do you really expect it to take you.
We never get to the point that we do not need the wisdom of others and wise counsel. There are so many of these good quotes in the book that the quotes alone make the book worth reading.
What gets our attention determines our direction and ultimately our destination.
You can’t trust your intentions so get focused on the direction you are taking today.
I just read this book. I review books for Nelson Publishing and have to say that I enjoyed this one more than most of the others that I have read. The book gives you ideas on how to lead and do business based on principles the author Michael Franzese learned as a mob boss.
The book gives good practical insight. He compares the insights of Solomon and Machiavelli!
As a mobster The Prince by Machiavelli was required reading. The Prince promotes a self seeking pragmatic lifestyle that causes a person to live in fear and doubt. Solomon from the Bible gives advice that is based on honor and truth.
Interesting insights from the book stated in an interesting way are the following:
Surround yourself with the right people and you will appear more intelligent than you are.
Learn to keep your mouth shut!
Sit down with people and get to the point of the disagreement rather than running from your problems.
Decide what true success is.
Don’t get caught in your pajamas. It takes hard work and smart work to get the job done. Get up early and get to work. Do not look for the easy life.
Too many want to be their own boss so that they can work less hours and have an easier life but nothing could be further from the truth.
The book was a quick read, just the right length. It was interesting and entertaining. Well worth you reading.
While I was recently in Bolivia Kevin White gave me a book. He said it was the best book on marriage that he had read.
Then I was with Pastor Archie Norman the other day on the south side of Atlanta and he said the book that he recommends for all of his couples to read is Love and Respect. Hearing the same advice twice starts to make you think.
I picked up the book and have given it a fast read. I want to suggest to all of our couples that you get a copy of the book.
The book talks about the love she most desires and the respect that he desperately needs.
The book has a simple message. A wife has one driving need, to feel loved. When that need is met, she is happy. A husband has one driving need, to feel respected. When that need is met, he is happy.
When either of these needs isn’t met, things get crazy. Love and Respect reveals why spouses react negavitivly to each other, and how they can deal with such conflict quickly, easily and biblically.
Eveything you just read comes straight from the book cover. I do not think it is the solve all book but I believe that it could help you greatly. The book only costs $14.94 before shipping on Amazon. If you give me $15 I will order you the book without shipping or taxes. You can’t beat that.
It is a hard back with over 300 pages of helpful material.
Scott Hamiton is the famous Olympic skater. He has suffered from a brain tumor and testicular cancer. He tells his story in this book and explains how to be happy even when you have every reason to be miserable.
This is an inspirational, positive thinking book! It has lots of good points. The book is obviously built around eight principles that Scott believes are secrets to your happiness. I think every book I read can be worth the read if I find one or two thoughts that are worth it. This book contains more than that.
One of the truths that I enjoyed as a pastor was found in the chapter on “Trust your Almighty Coach!” Scott discusses different types of coaches. He tells stories about his coaches. The part that applied to me was that coaches should be careful not to get in over their heads.
Many coaches try to take the skater to a level where they have no understanding. He says that few are willing to say that I have done all I can for you. It is time for me to help you find the person that can take you to the promised land. The great failure he says is when the skater becomes an extension of the coach’s ego!
Another great truth was on using our past failures as a crutch to keep failing. Since we refuse to forgive ourselves for the past we can’t get over it and on to the next thing that is before us.
Another great truth was on keeping the ice clear, or open lines of communication. We often are people pleasers and will not confront people when we should. We build up bitterness that only hinders our future success.
Last truth from here is that you need to focus on building up others and you will find your own self worth. I like the idea that you have no success until you build a successor. I do not want to be one of a kind. I want to reproduce in others the truths that God has used in my life.
The book is an easy, quick read! It will give you some good ideas about happiness and success.
Think and Make it Happen by Dr Augusto Cury is my latest book review. This is a book by a psychiatrist. He mentions Jesus and Bible principles in the book but it is not a Christian or religious book and the author states that clearly on page 177. He says that he is not talking about religion. This book, he says, respects any form of belief including atheism.
That being said the book has very many practical and helpful ideas. I just want you to know that you are not buying a book that is necessarily Christian.
The book gives 12 principles that will help you learn to think correctly. The introduction starts with a statement that sums up much of the truth in the book; “One of the great ironies of being human is that we pay the most attention to the things that, in the long run, matter least — and vice versa.”
Another statement that the author makes that really struck me is “We will discover in future chapters that one of the most complex abilities of the human mind is just that: to produce thoughts and feelings that occur on their own, without our permission or invitation.”
Therefore the need to learn to think. I think that truth is very true and important. You will find that I quoted a much longer passage on another post here.
This is without a doubt a self help book but I would recommend your reading it. Let me leave you with one of his formulas: “DCD (Doubt-Criticize-Determine) is an excellent technique for managing thoughts and improving your mind!”
I don’t want to give the book away but this is a great truth-what you believe controls you so you must doubt it. Then you must criticize or judge these thoughts and not accept every thought that comes into your head. Then you determine to be happy, secure and strong rather than enslaved by your conflicts.
This is the first Max Lucado book that I have ever read. My son and many others often tell me how good his books are but I usually read what I might call a heavier book or a book more for the ministry that I have.
I read this book because I am reviewing it for Thomas Nelson. I must admit that I enjoyed the book. It is very short-only about 80 pages. I guess that is more for the regular consumer so, good idea. I read the book in less than an hour. So for those that do not like to read there you have it.
Without a doubt Lucado is a wordsmith and I enjoyed reading the book. The book touched me several times. By that I mean it got deep into my emotions.
When the messenger told Jesus that the one He loved was sick-I was blessed beyond words. You need to read it to understand that but check out the way the request was made to come to rescue Lazarus. I loved the way Lucado showed the greatness of our God and how He reigns over us, the world and the crisis.
I will read another Lucado book now!
My one problem with the book is how it “seems” to almost make it sound that this goodness of God is for everyone right now even though they may not be born again. I give the benefit of the doubt and say that the book was written for Christians and so that should solve that dilemma.
I pray with the author that God will do it again and use His church to bless a hurting world.
The subtitle is Your Secret to Success! My greatest fear of a book like this is that coming from a Christian publisher it is or can be very misleading. The book has good business, personal, self improvement points no doubt.
Thomas Nelson publishes it so you might think that it was coming from a Christian perspective but it is not. It is a secular self help book.
That being said the book makes some good points. The video just about gives you the book except for the work that you are asked to do. It is self help at its best- a video to hear the content of the book, print to reinforce the video, questions to answer, a rememo pad to write down your reflections.
I believe the book could help anyone with their personal life. I believe that it makes good points. I believe that it is a good book along the lines of any success book such as How to Win Friends and Influence People.
I even believe that the book could be good reading-it is very short, lots of blank pages, to the point, more of a work book than a book to be read!
I think that I like the video presentation of the book as well as the book. As a Christian book I believe that it falls way short and I fear that there is a great misconception in the Christian world today.
Can you have success if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Though you get the job you want and enjoy what will you have gained if you lose your soul.
Not against the book just not sure it is worthy Christian publishing?!
I just read “Billy” an inspiring story of the life of Billy Graham that really glorifies God. Charles Templeton tells the story. He was one of the “greatest preacher” of his time. In the story a reporter tries to dig up dirt on Billy Graham by interviewing a man who parted company with Billy Graham and took the path of unbelief.
One of the most inspiring truths from the story is that according to Templeton; Billy was never capable of greatness but at every turn some how the doors opened and God greatly used Billy. It is interesting to see how Billy’s simple faith gave him a very different life than the one that Templeton had with his doubt.
I do not want to ruin the story for you but to see the story of Billy’s personal torment as he decides to believe and the way God worked in his life is inspiring. To see how Billy mocked evangelists and yet God saved him and put him in the ministry as an evangelist is exciting.
Maybe the part of the story I most enjoyed was watching Billy’s dad gather with men around an old stump and pray for God to do a great work and call out someone to take the gospel message to the world. There Billy stands almost mocking God, his dad, preachers, and the gospel that will soon become so important in his life.
I personally enjoyed the book very much. I think it is well written and makes it hard to put down. I was excited to watch God work and see how God used a man who never really sought the greatness that he was later afforded.
Get the book and read it. I really think you will enjoy it!
I just read the book “Through the Storm” by Lynne Spears. It tells the story of a family that knew better than what happened but got caught up in all the fame as her daughter. Like all of us she only wanted her daughter to succeed.
Britney went from the small plays, singing and dancing to the big time. The book reads slowly and unless you are very interested in the Spears because of who they are I am not sure you will be all that excited about reading the book.
The good part of the book shows the side of a family that was hurting and how that probably affected so many other things that happened. A dad who had an alcohol problem, a regular family that didn’t know how to deal with all that surrounded them–fame, money, success and most of all what might have been a way too shallow spiritual life.
The best thing that I find in the book is when Lynne tells what she should have done better: The family should have worked harder at building faith in the children–church attendance was regular when they were in town but Bible reading and devotions would have helped.
According to the story the family did indeed miss the stability and anchor of faith though all through the book Lynne shares the story and mentions her faith.
The other regret that she had was not trusting her gut in regards to things that happened–she could often sense that things weren’t right but trusted professionals that ended up causing many of the heart aches
I do think after reading the book that there is much more to the story than what we get from the papers, TV news, and especially those that follow the media.
After raising children and having grandchildren it does help someone to hear from the mother and know how she hurt! We can all learn from Lynne to build stronger spiritual lives, be more careful about outside influences, and trust our gut about taking care of the family.
